preview event
Saturday 16 May 12.30pm—2.30pm
artist talk
Saturday 16 May 1pm—2pm
live music event
Featuring Pearl Gala
Saturday 16 May 5.30pm—7pm
viewing 12.05.26—06.06.26
open hours
Monday—Friday 9am—5.30pm Saturday 10am—4pm
location
Webb’s Gallery 23 Marion Street Te Aro
Wellington 6011
Virginia Woods-Jack Exhibitions Manager +64 22 679 8664
virginia@webbs.co.nz
Webb’s Wellington are pleased to present two duo selling exhibitions running across the gallery bringing together contemporary Māori artists from across Te Ika-a-Māui the North Island.
Brigham & Atarangi Anderson
Kia whakatā | Take a breath
Kia whaiwhakaaro | Be mindful
Kia whakamanawanui | Act courageously
Brigham Anderson (Ngāti Hauiti) and Atarangi Anderson (Te Aitanga a Hauiti, Ngāti Hauiti) are father and daughter with practices connected through whakapapa and material knowledge. The use of pattern as a carrier of meaning creates a bridge between them, yet they remain distinct in form and focus. The name of the exhibition draws these two distinct practices into a shared kaupapa.
Brigham works with tukutuku to share teachings, remembering and reflections on balance and responsibility, extending traditional patterns into sculptural forms grounded in discipline and care. Atarangi, as a kiriaute practitioner, central to her practice is onamata and anamata, as a methodology that centres the concept of nonlinear time, encompassing connections between people and trees, and fostering a sense of reciprocity and balance. Together, their work forms a dialogue where making holds knowledge, honouring tīpuna and affirming continuity into the future.
Maija Stephens & Elena Rei
Wātea
Maija Stephens (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Rangi) and Elena Rei’s (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Koata, Sāmoa) exhibition Wātea is a body of work that reflects on rituals of whakawātea, or cleansing, as a means of navigating uncertainty and restoring balance in unsettled times. Responding to current global conditions, the series considers how acts of clearing and release can support hauora, nurture resilience and contribute to collective movement toward positive change. The works are conceived as offerings for personal altars or tūāhu, whether tangible or implied, activating space for ceremony, reflection and intention. Utilising photography and weaving, or tukutuku, the artists draw on both contemporary and customary approaches to material practice, creating works that move between the terrestrial and the celestial. Each piece is shaped by a deep engagement with whakawātea at a fundamental level and is imbued with karakia and elemental forces, offering layers of intention, care and protection.
Wai-Rua: Te huihui o ngā wai - Brigham Anderson
Tukutuku traditionally sit within rectangular forms, using patterns to carry lessons so they are not forgotten. I questioned what might happen if the board itself took the shape of the subject, and the patterns were woven directly onto that form. Wai-Rua is the outcome of that inquiry. The structure is built from 1,322 individual timber “bricks”, each measuring 30 x 10 x 15mm. Every piece was cut, drilled and sanded by hand, then joined with dowelling. No two pieces are exactly the same.
Wai-Rua speaks to the meeting of the waters of Papatūānuku, the waters of the earth, and Ranginui, the waters of the heavens. This is the space where toroa soar between two realms, hence Wai-Rua, the two waters. There is also a play on the word wairua, the unseen spiritual dimension. Water embodies both calm and trauma, reflecting the dual states that exist within this meeting.
The patterns reference the feathers and down of the toroa, and the reflection of the sun shining from Ranginui onto the waters of his beloved, Papatūānuku, and back up beneath the bird. Black and white are used to represent Te Pō and Mā, darkness and light, death and life. These are not opposites of good and bad, but forces that exist in balance, each with purpose and season.
All parts of the toroa were valued and used, from feathers worn by rangatira to bones used for tools and adornment. The tukutuku pattern roimata toroa, tears of the albatross, reminds us to keep our promises.
Drawing on these attributes, Wai-Rua recognises that leadership requires experience, humility, an affinity for others (a leader respects and loves their people), and to have the wisdom of understanding tensions and doing what is the best action for that particular point in time. Leadership requires wisdom, the ability to navigate tension, and acceptance that it can at times be a lonely place.
Brigham
2026
timber species: macrocarpa, rimu, pine (the dowelling), fiber cord, varnish
960 x 2090mm
price $16,000
2 Brigham Anderson
Ka puta te ira tangata | the relationships between humankind 2023
fibre cord, acrylic paint and varnish on macrocarpa
2070 x 250mm
price
$4,500
A term often used in whaikōrero when speaking of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. We are all connected, but when people think they are better than others, connections weaken.
3 Brigham Anderson
Tūturu | integrity 2023
fibre cord, acrylic paint and varnish on macrocarpa
2070 x 250mm
price
$4,500
Integrity includes doing right, even when it’s inconvenient or could disadvantage us. The three sections, depict stages in our eternal existence . In the middle is our life now, with the zig-zags representing challenges, hardships, and peer pressure. Even in awful times we can continue to seek peace, and the blue line represents this resoluteness.
4 Brigham Anderson
Aho ki te aho | line upon line 2023
fibre cord, acrylic paint and varnish on macrocarpa
2070 x 250mm
price
$4,500
Patience, learning is a journey. Not all shortcuts are beneficial – you could miss out on the real learning.
5 Brigham Anderson
Ika pūrua | two fish 2023
fibre cord, acrylic paint and varnish on macrocarpa
2070 x 250mm
price
$4,500
From a seed to infinite potential - feeding 5,000 with two fish (ika) and five loaves that a young boy offered to Jesus (John 6: 1-15). A seemingly small offering has the possibility to grow into infinity.
6 Brigham Anderson
Te piringa ki te rangi | place of connection
2023
fibre cord, acrylic paint and varnish on macrocarpa
2070 x 250mm
price
$4,500
Homes offer protection and sanctuary. Inside them, we can be calm and connect to our spirituality. Our tūpuna did not allow influences into their whare that were harmful.
7 Brigham Anderson
Hōkioi
2023
fibre cord, acrylic paint and varnish on macrocarpa
2070 x 250mm
price
$4,500
Māori oral histories record the hōkioi as a giant bird of prey. In hōkioi’s desire to win a contest with kāhu the hawk to see who could fly highest, hōkioi flew and flew, disappearing into the heavens. Sometimes our egos can get in the way of working together for a common kaupapa (purpose).
8 Brigham Anderson
Pātiki
2023
fibre cord, acrylic paint and varnish on macrocarpa
2070 x 250mm
price
$4,500
This is a variation of the traditional pātiki (flounder) pattern. I love this pattern that means abundance and plenty. Here it represents the wealth of tūpuna and whānau and their ability to demonstrate love and respect for each other.
9 Brigham Anderson
Tā kupenga | the fishing net
2023
fibre cord, acrylic paint and varnish on macrocarpa
2070 x 250mm
price
$4,500
Jesus said to his disciples: I will make you fishers of men. In sharing their faith, the disciples were able to embrace others and accept difference. We are connected to all people and things.
“Jesus Christ visited sisters, Martha and Mary. Martha kept working while Mary sat and talked with Jesus. Martha got hōhā at Mary for not helping. The Saviour’s gentle reminder to her was that what Mary chose was better. Life is not about choosing between right and wrong (shown by the black and white ribbons) but choosing between right and right (red and blue ribbons). What is right can depend on context. Unusual in tukutuku, the red and blue ribbons overlap, depicting the conflict of deciding the best action to take. Ribbons are used to express the femininity of the sisters.”
—Brigham Anderson
10 Brigham Anderson Tuakana, teina – the sisters 2023
ribbon, varnish on macrocarpa
900 x 2700mm
price
$14,500
“As a kiriaute practitioner, central to my practice is onamata and anamata as a methodology that centres the concept of non-linear time, encompassing connections between people and trees, and fostering a sense of reciprocity and balance. These works have emerged from the swirling pools of Te Kore, which is the place of raw creative energies.
The takarangi is perhaps what you can see in the eyes of another into the Te Kore that lives within us all. These forms feel as if they are emerging from the tree as the wood breathes and expands over time, revealing the splits and forms in the rākau. ”
—Atarangi Anderson
11 Atarangi Anderson
Onamata 2024 kokowai, black ash
1200 x 1000mm
price $15,000
This work will be made on purchase - 1 month production time.
Courtesy of Grace
12 Atarangi Anderson Tiki (kākaha) 2025
aute, pāua, tānekaha
510 x 310mm
price
$3,500
Courtesy of Grace
13 Atarangi Anderson Takarangi (mā) 2025
aute
330 x 500mm
price
$3,500
Courtesy of Grace
14 Atarangi Anderson Mata 2024
aute, pāua, tānekaha
500 x 300mm
price
$3,500
Courtesy of Grace
15 Atarangi Anderson Takarangi (mā) 2025
aute
330 x 500mm
price
$3,500
Courtesy of Grace
“These works serve as an offering for one's own personal altar or tūāhu (whether physical or implied), as a provocation of ceremony for release, sustenance and balance. They call an audience to consider how they might like to implement rituals of cleansing and clearing into their lives, to prioritise wellbeing and unencumbered advancement in the kaupapa that matter. The intention of these works is to initiate a discussion on the processes of whakawātea, and to help develop understanding around why these kinds of rituals exist in the first place, not just within Te Ao Māori, but across cultures.”
—Maija Stephens and Elena Rei
16 Maija Stephens Hinekauorohia I 2026
archival digital ilford smooth cotton rag print edition of 3 +1AP
1020 x 580mm
price $1,800
17 Maija Stephens Nunumi 2026
archival digital ilford smooth
cotton rag print edition of 3 +1AP
545 x 345 mm
price $950
18 Maija Stephens Rewarewa 2026
archival digital ilford smooth
cotton rag print edition of 3 +1AP
545 x 330mm
price $950
19 Maija Stephens Muramura 2026
archival digital ilford smooth
cotton rag print edition of 3 +1AP
525 x 325 mm
price $775
20 Maija Stephens Hahana 2026
archival digital ilford smooth
cotton rag print edition of 3 +1AP
525 x 305 mm
price $775
21 Elena Rei
Rehurehutanga o te Rā 2026
kiekie, pīngao, muka, paru (black dye), plywood, paint
900 x 200mm
price
$2,600
22 Elena Rei
Aro atu ki te mārama 2026
kiekie, pīngao, muka, paru (black dye), plywood, paint
900 x 200mm
price
$2,600
23 Elena Rei
Te Pō 2026
kiekie, pīngao, plywood, paint
300 x 200mm
price
$800
24 Elena Rei
Te hihi o te Rā 2026
kiekie, pīngao, plywood, paint
300 x 200mm
price
$800
25 Elena Rei
Te Hā o te wai 2026
kiekie, pīngao, plywood, paint
300 x 200mm
price $800
26 Elena Rei
Tā i te kawa 2026
kiekie, pīngao, plywood, paint
300 x 200mm
price $800
27 Elena Rei Hēhē 2026
kiekie, pīngao, plywood, paint
600 x 300mm
price
$2,600
28 Elena Rei Tukua 2026
kiekie, pīngao, plywood, paint
200 x 900mm
price
$2,600
Brigham Anderson (Ngāti Hauiti) is a highly skilled artist and designer. His solo show Te Whare Tukutuku at Te Manawa in 2023 saw his work enter the collection of Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery. Anderson views the home as the most important place in the world: a place of safety, protection, learning and love; where potential is nurtured. His work combines tukutuku patterns with text to remind us of how home should be.
Atarangi Anderson (b.1993) (Te Aitanga a Hauiti and Ngāti Hauiti) holds a Bachelor of Creative Enterprise and a Master of Creative Practice from Unitec. Recent exhibitions include He Wahine, He Aute (Unitec, 2024), Ngā _Mata Aute (Grace, 2025), and Hine Whakamauāhua (Laree Payne, 2025). Mau ahua (Grace, 2026).
Maija Stephens (Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga, Rongomaiwahine, Ngāti Rangi) is a lens-based artist and photographer. Through her distinctive engagement with both the camera and her subjects, she reframes her practice with the intent to indigenise the medium of photography itself. Her process is what she likes to describe as ritualistic, constantly drawing from ancestral knowledge to inform how she utilises a contemporary tool.
Elena Rei (Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāruahine, Ngāti Koata, Sāmoa)
Elena Rei is a textile practitioner and artist creating within the realm of Te Whare Pora. Based in Porirua, her tūrangawaewae, Elena initiated her passion for Raranga and Tukutuku under the guidance of tuakana Kohai Grace. She graduated from Toi Rauwhārangi in 2022 and has since exhibited works across Wellington.
“Unuhia te tapu
Kia wātea ai te ara
Kia turuki whakataha ai
Kia turuki whakataha ai Whakamaua kia
tina (tina)...
Hui ē… Tāiki ē! ”
Virginia Woods-Jack Exhibitions Manager +64 22 679 8664
virginia@webbs.co.nz